An Engagement in Iranistan
After the success of my last two battles of Hordes of the Things I was chomping at the bit for another game. I was lucky that the opportunity came much quicker than I expected. One of my oldest friends and a fellow solo wargamer asked me to fight a battle for his solo campaign. I was not going to say no to the chance to play a game in someone else`s campaign. The thought of adding to the narrative of another person`s game always adds an extra bit of spice to the proceedings for me.
On a rules note, I realised, after a reread of the rules, that I had being playing recoil wrong and adjusted my game play to correspond to how it is actually written in the rules. These learning steps are an important part of really getting into a set of rules. This change meant that the game took a bit longer than my previous two games, but that isn`t a bad thing. I saw more in the way of manoeuvre between the two sides, and the game was more tactically interesting.
The battle-Zamora vs Iranistan
The Forces
I once more selected one side, the Iranistanian force, while my friend selected the other, the Zamorian opposition. I do feel that I need to add some lurkers to the Zamorian army to make it a bit closer to the Zamoria of Hyperborea, but that is something that will have to wait as I have a couple of armies that I would like to paint up first.
Iranistan
Satrap Xarxas in scythed chariot (Knights general)
4x Sparabara (Spears)
2x Takabara (Shooters)
4x Sogdian warriors (Riders)
1x Light chariot (Knight)
Zamora
Strategos Zafar (Spears general)
5x Hoplite Lokhoi (Spears)
2x Psiloi (Shooters)
2x Hippesis (Riders)
1x Stone Golem (Behemoth)
Deployment
The Zamorian Strategos decided to refuse his left flank, push his Hoplite Lokhoi up the middle, and use his Hippesis and Stone Golem to attack his right flank. The Iranistanian Satrap sent his large group of Sogdian warriors around his right flank, challenged the centre with his two chariots, and to defend his left flank with the Sparabara and the Takabara.
Battle Narrative
Strategos Zafar smiled as he watched his troops advance towards the enemy. The elan of the Zamorian army clearly on display as the troops surged towards the Iranistanian forces. The Iranistanian army were less interested in getting involved in battle with the Zamorians. The Satrap Xarxas cursed under his breath and ordered the few willing Troops forward. The Takabara entered the wooded area, little did anyone know that their presence in the forest would determine the fate of the battle.
The Zamorian advance stalled as the Takabara harrassed them with sling shots. The stone bullets forcing the Hippesis back.
The Sogdian warriors whooped as they charged around the Zamorian flank. The wild horsemens` desire to crush the invaders spurred them on.
The skirmishers of both sides engaged one another. The Zamorian Psiloi hurled their javelins into the Iranistanian Takabara in the forest, and the Takabara flung stones back at them. The forest cover gave the Takabara the advantage, the Zamorian javelins not finding their targets. While the Iranistanian stone bullets cut down one unit of the Psiloi.
Zafar spotted the danger of the flanking cavalry force and ordered the Stone Golem to deal with them. This choice would prove to be an important moment for the outcome of the fight.
The Hippesis charged their horses into the waiting Sparabara. Spears are not the friends of horsemen and soon they were sent fleeing from the battlefield by the ranks of the Iranistanian spearmen.
Hearing the cries of victory from the Sparabara, Xarxas decided now was the time to deal with the main Zamorian battleline. The chariots and light horsemen crashed into the Hoplites.
But the Zamorian Hoplites could not be so easily overcome. Their training and disciplined allowed them to not only hold back the tide of horsemen but to break and send most of them fleeing for their lives.
While the Hoplites were dealing with the main force of Cavalry, the Stone Golem charged into the last two units of the Sogdian warriors. The construct of dark Zamorian sorcery bellowed as it forced back the Sogdian warriors.
The situation in the centre of the battle didn`t look good for the Iranistanian forces. Xarxas realised the danger he was in and fell back towards the village. But, the men of Iranistan wouldn`t go down without a fight. The Takabara engaged the Zamorians from the forest. The plucky slingers delaying one of the Hoplite Lokhoi.
The fight in the forest raged as Xarxas ordered the Sparabara to join him in the centre of the battle.
The Sogdian warriors horses danced and weaved as they avoided the attentions of the Stone Golem. At one point these brave horsemen were able to force the Golem back, but this small victory only aroused the ire of the Golem.
The noose started to tighten around the Iranistanians, but the situation wasn`t hopeless as the Takabara still held out in the forest.
Disaster struck for the Iranistanians as the Zamorian Psiloi finally took revenge for their comrades killing one of the units of slingers.
Both of the commanders calmly reordered their lines ready for the final clash. The Iranistanians knew how close they were to breaking.
On the flank, the Stone Golem finally broke the Sogdian warriors, but in its rage the stone construction stomped off into the distance. His impotent screams of fury being wasted on the fleeing horsemen.
With the loss of the horse and the golem both armies were close to breaking. Zafar decided to finish off the slingers in the forest by pushing in two Hoplite Lokhoi while advancing with the rest of his Hoplites on the village. He was not ready for the pluck of the Takabara. These valiant Iranistanian warriors forced back the Hoplites then turned on the remaining Psiloi. Their knives making quick work of the Zamorian Psiloi. This final loss was too much for the Zamorian army and Zafar sounded the retreat.
